I'm pretty new to this game and I've been making characters and learning the rules slowly, mostly by trial and error. One part of the game I am completely unsure on is the math involving battlesuits and Armor. I could really do with a step by step breakdown of the math involved. It is also possible I am completely wrong on a rule point or two, so feel free to correct me.

Let's say I am making the battlesuit given in the rulebook for Cyclone:

Armor +10

Extras: Energy Blast, Flight, Immunity, Super-Strength.

Power Stunts: Blindfight, Darkvision, Radio Broadcast, Radio Hearing, Super-flight

Flaws: Device.

Now, the Armor rules mention buying other powers as extras. Am I to assume that each of those Extras only cost one point each? I can see that for Immunity and Flight, but Super-Strength is expensive normally so getting it for a point per rank makes me nervous.

Which comes out to a character with Armor that protects at level 10, a Level 10 energy Blast, Level 10 Flight, 10 Immunities and 10 Ranks of super-Strength plus five stunts to go with it all with the Device Flaw.

The five power stunts are part of the Device and are reduced to 1 point each as a result of the Device Flaw.

The misleading part is the Device Flaw. Armor is protection with a built-in Device Flaw, which is why it costs 1pp/rank. Listing the Device flaw might be confusing, though I think it was listed for clarification's sake.

In the same vein as this, I'm having trouble figureing out a few things about power/battle suits.

Now, if I take Armor +10, does that also add to my defense roll? My damage save? Any help at all would be welcome.
I'm looking at the example of cyclone, but the numbers just aren't making sense to me.

Alright, the math fun. To help make things easier, you can forget the damage save, or defense roll. Armor is the same thing as Protection in device form. So that means at Armor +10, you can take off 10 damage from all attacks. Any attack that is less than 10, does not even require a damage save.

With your build, I'll point out some ideas that may help you figure out your costs. (and still have the same effect)

With your use of energy blast, you could just keep everything to kinetic, and extra off the one. (meaning both propulsion and explosive are extras for the same cost with your full effect flaw.) This is just an idea, the cost is the same either way. If you want fire, go for it. But really, the point cost is the same, and you could describe this kinetic effect to look how you want.

Super strength is common, but at this point, Strike isn't helpful at all. You're already maxed out for damage using super strength, so there is no bonus at all for using strike if you are building a power level 10 character. (that'll shave 10 points off the build)

all those feats are at 1 point each, and you have 9 feats.

So here's what I think it costs- 79 pp.
10 for the armor
30 for the energy projections
30 for the strength
9 for the feats

Make sense?

Ephesians6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

The suit would then cost 69pp. If you want to round it out to 70pp, I would suggest See Invisibilty as a power stunt. Though, if you just want him to be able to do big melee damage, change super strength to strike. If you did, I would add in the extras Sensory Protection and Mental Protection.

As for the example armours in the book, they do not have give a defense bonus, they give an armor bonus, as in they are devices with ranks in the Armor power. The only way to increase defense without paying to increase your base defense is to increase your Dexterity, buy Super Dexterity, Super Speed, or buy the Dodge feat. Though, the cheapest way to increase your defense is to pay the power points to increase your base defense.

Good first character though. If you want some character creation help for this one, or in the future, you can reach me on AIM or MSN most days of the week.

H.E.R.O.I.C. Member of the 2nd Rank

Owner of a map to Paradise Island

"See this med-pack? See this gun? These mean the only people dying here today are the ones I kill!" -Field Medic, Cyberpunk Card Game

Sword of the Spirit wrote:Ephesians6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

On a completely different note this very line from the good book helped me to create a Battlesuit character named the Ephesian. An inventor who created his suit to help fight the growing evil in the world.

Bravo

FELINE FURY: What's the point of having a name and a costume if you don't have an action figure?

Yes, they are both part of the device, but you are already getting a break on the Super Strength by making it an extra. That is what happens when you take an extra. For instance, you could have Super Strength +10 with the extra of Super Charisma +10. (Don't worry about why you would do such a thing; just accept the example! ) That would cost 50pp. This is cheaper than taking them separately (60pp), but if you lost the Super Strength, you would also lose the Super Charisma. If you have Flight based on your Energy Control, if you lose your Energy Control, you lose your Flight. It is the nature of an extra. You can only apply a flaw ONCE to a power, not to each element of the power. Armor already has the Device Flaw built-in. You do not apply it at all.

Sillara wrote:It is the nature of an extra. You can only apply a flaw ONCE to a power, not to each element of the power. Armor already has the Device Flaw built-in. You do not apply it at all.Sillara

Ahhh, now see, THAT makes sense. Thats the 'piece' I was missing. So if the flaw is at the top of the list "say... 'touch only'", then all the powers beneath it are assumed to have the same flaw automatically, but only the primary power has it...